GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - India
Himanshu Dodeja of The Blackstone Group.
Before joining Blackstone in 2016, Mr. Dodeja was a highly respected Mumbai-based partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. He played an essential role within the firm for several years and focused on private equity, M&A transactions, special situations, acting for a range of major private equity investors including Blackstone, Carlyle, Warburg Pincus and Temasek. He graduated in 2004 from Amity Law School and later received an LLM from New York University’s School of Law, being licensed to practice in both India and New York.
He currently serves as Managing Director, and Head of Legal of Blackstone India, focusing on mergers & acquisitions, private equity, capital market initiatives of the firm, and on all legal matters. He attracts significant praise from interviewees who note he has a “lot of influence” and remark upon his ability to “navigate the internal systems” of the company. Sources attest to his role in building up the company’s legal team, with one commenting: “He is a bright guy who has beautifully balanced the legal and business needs of the company, following its growth in India over the last five years. He is a team player who is pragmatic, who understands business complexities and is a delight to work with.”
He has played an invaluable role within the company since his arrival, with Blackstone significantly increasing its investment in India, surpassing USD13 billion recently. Of the many notable deals he has been involved in, the recent acquisition of the remaining stake in Indiabulls Real Estate’s (IBREL) commercial real estate portfolio as well as launching India’s first REIT along with its developer partner Embassy Group, stand as two of his major accomplishments. In addition to his work at Blackstone, he also serves on the board of various companies in India.